


A Blizzard in Camelot

by asilentherald



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Fluff, Good Aithusa, M/M, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-28
Updated: 2015-01-28
Packaged: 2018-03-09 09:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3245147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asilentherald/pseuds/asilentherald
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A great winter storm has come to Camelot. Merlin is a great bleeding heart, Aithusa likes to cuddle and steal food, and Arthur just wants to eat his damn dinner with his servant already.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Blizzard in Camelot

**Author's Note:**

> Written during #Snowmageddon2015; I hear it was a dud in NYC but Boston is pretty much Hoth, so I figured why not write a fic inspired by being happily snowed in today? 
> 
> (Also, in this AU, Merlin hatched Aithusa some time ago, but Uther is still alive/Arthur isn't yet King) 
> 
> Enjoy!

Merlin carefully opened the door to Arthur’s chambers with a tray full of miraculously (er, magically) hot food balanced on his arm. He shut the door as silently as possible, determined not to wake Arthur with his clunking about until he at least had the fire at full height again. It was absurdly cold this morning.

“Quit dawdling by the door and bring the tray over. We’re in a bit of a rush.”

Merlin nearly dropped the tray altogether; it’d have been a nasty mess all over his boots and Arthur’s floor, but Arthur, the dashing prince with annoyingly swift reflexes, swept over and caught the tray before gravity could claim it. Merlin let out the breath he was holding with a _whoosh_ , saying,

“Thanks.”

“Just do your job, _Mer_ lin, and try not to be so bad at it,” Arthur said, rolling his eyes, though there was a small smile on his lips as he said it. He took the tray out of Merlin’s hands and crossed back to the table. Merlin stared after him.

“You’re up. And you’re dressed,” he said, still staring. “It’s hardly past dawn.”

“I’m capable of doing things for myself, you know,” Arthur scowled.

“Of course you are, sire. Last time you said that you nearly went to a council meeting in your sleep trousers.”

“I’m the Prince, Merlin. No one would’ve dared say anything,” Arthur said.

“Hmm, someone might have. You wouldn’t have liked it.”

“See, I still doubt that, since you’re the only one stupid enough to make comments like that,” Arthur said. “Hurry up and get my things together. We’re going hunting.”

“Hunting?” Merlin yelped. “In this weather?”

“It’s not snowing yet, but apparently our meat supplies are a bit low,” Arthur explained. He sat at the head of his table and took a mouthful of food. “We don’t know how long we’ll be stuck in here, but if it’s anything like the last storm that came like this, it’ll be a while.”

“I don’t remember any storms like this,” Merlin frowned.

“It was before you came to Camelot,” Arthur said, waving dismissively. “We were snowed in for weeks. We nearly ran out of food then, too.”

“Ah. Well, eat up. Don’t let the food we have go to waste,” Merlin said absently. He was more focused on the warm, heavy cloaks in Arthur’s wardrobe, most of which he never touched, since he favored his red knight’s cloak over them all. Merlin finished getting together the rest of Arthur’s things for the hunt.

“We’ll have to be back by nightfall, so we won’t stray far from Camelot,” Arthur said, rising. He tossed his napkin aside and it fell on the floor. Merlin rolled his eyes and placed it on the table before taking his usual seat and finishing Arthur’s leftovers. He watched Arthur pull on his boots semi-successfully, chuckling. “What?” he glared.

“Nothing,” Merlin said hastily.

“Are you just going to watch or are you going to help?” Arthur demanded.

“I’m getting there.”

Arthur looked beyond exasperated by the time Merlin got out of his chair and reached where Arthur was waiting.

“You’re impatient today,” Merlin noted. He dropped to his knees and started fixing Arthur’s boots so they’d slide on all the way. Arthur’s hand was strong where he gripped Merlin’s shoulder for balance.

“I’m not keen on getting stuck in the storm. Of course I’m impatient.”

“You couldn’t finish dressing yourself, then, if you’re so good at it?”

“Then you’d end up lazing about.”

“We can’t have that, can we?” Merlin sighed. He rose to his feet with some difficulty. Arthur grabbed his elbow and hauled him up the rest of the way.

“You do enough of it anyway,” Arthur snorted. “Sword, Merlin.”

Merlin turned and returned with the sword belt. Arthur raised his arms and let Merlin lean in to wrap the leather around him. Arthur exhaled low and slowly, his breath blowing against Merlin’s cheek. He felt a shiver run through him, but Merlin had more than enough practice keeping himself in check, especially around Arthur.

“Haven’t you got anything warmer?” Arthur said. Merlin could hear him frowning. He plucked at the thin leather of his brown jacket. “You’ll freeze after ten minutes out there.”

“Can’t have that, can we?” Merlin asked sarcastically.

“No,” Arthur said. “Take one of my cloaks. One of the heavy ones.”

Merlin stared at him.

“Really?”

“Yes, _really_ , now quit wasting time. It looks like it’s already starting to snow,” Arthur said gruffly. He adjusted his cape around his neck as he swept out of the room, leaving the door open for Merlin to follow.

He gaped for a moment too long,

“ _Merlin!_ ”

He grabbed the nearest cloak – the dark one with the fur lining, all its colors faded with age – and ran after the prince.

* * *

_It couldn’t be a boring, easy hunting trip, could it?_ Merlin thought. He backed away slowly from the group of knights tracking what seemed to be a doe and made sure Arthur wasn’t watching him. The dark color of his cloak made it hard to blend into his surroundings, every surface of the forest already covered in a fluffy layer of snow.

It looked so harmless now, but Merlin had experienced his fair share of harsh winters. He was more than grateful for the thick walls of the castle. Being exposed to the elements was a wretched way to weather winter.

Which was why Merlin was following a presence, a pleading soul somewhere near him in the Darkling Wood. It was shivering, whatever it was. Merlin could feel its fear, too. And it was calling out to _him_ , even if it couldn’t properly speak. He thought perhaps it was a baby, or some other small thing that couldn’t yet speak. Arthur would be able to find a place for it in the castle with one of the maids, if so.

But when Merlin pulled aside a curtain of vines covering the entrance to a small low cave, he didn’t find a baby. At least, not a baby _human_.

He dropped to his knees, his eyes stinging all of a sudden. It was Aithusa, curled up in a small trembling ball against the wall of the cave, a thin dusting of leaves and moss gathered around her for warmth. Merlin’s chest hurt at the sight of her.

Merlin reached out and let his hand hover near her head without touching her. She stirred in her sleep and turned closer to Merlin in her sleep until her cold snout fit into the base of Merlin’s palm. He stroked her head and neck until she woke and blinked blearily up at Merlin. He felt her scales bristle and relax at his touch. She warbled a light, high sound and tumbled out of her nest onto Merlin’s lap. Aithusa climbed up Merlin’s chest onto his shoulder, her little claws tickling Merlin through his clothes.

“Stop,” he laughed. He reached up and cupped the side of her body to keep Aithusa from toppling over behind Merlin. She sniffed Merlin’s ear and licked him lightly, like a small puppy might to test the waters with a new friend.

Then she grabbed Merlin’s ear and _pulled_.

“Ow. Really now stop it,” he winced. Merlin picked the dragon up and held her out in front of him at eye level. Her tail swished back and forth, her wings lying flat and loose. Her large black eyes stared at Merlin.

She shivered.

“Bollocks,” Merlin muttered. “Fine. You’re coming back with me, but you have to promise to be good, alright?”

Merlin waited. Aithusa nodded once. Merlin wasn’t entirely sure she even understood the human tongue yet.Given that Merlin hadn’t seen Aithusa since he’d hatched her and she’d left with Kilgharrah, Merlin wasn’t sure she’d interacted with many humans at all. Or anyone other than the old dragon. Merlin set her down on the ground.

“I probably should’ve kept a closer eye on you,” he said. She crawled onto his lap and curled up again, tucking her head under her wings. “Hey, no, we have to go back to Arthur. We’ll freeze if we stay here.”

She looked up when he mentioned Arthur.

“Yeah. Arthur’s got lots of food, a big soft bed, and the whole palace is warm. You’ll love it,” Merlin said, scooping Aithusa up in his arm. “Now. How are—?”

“Merlin! Where the hell are you?” came Gwaine’s voice from just outside the cave.

Aithusa startled and scurried out of Merlin’s lap, under his arm, and up his back, pressing up against him, clinging to him with her tiny claws. It was like carrying a baby on his back, but without holding it in place. Merlin stood up and made his way out of the cave, barely managing not to trip with the extra weight on him.

“Here!” he shouted. Gwaine spun around and beamed.

“What were you doing down there?”

“Got bored running after you lot,” he shrugged as Gwaine hauled him out of the depression in the ground where the cave sat.

“Merlin,” came Arthur’s voice. Aithusa squirmed. He hopped to the side when she prodded his side. Arthur sighed loudly.

“Killed any cute animals yet?” Merlin asked when he righted himself. Arthur looked at him oddly and walked up to him. He circled Merlin once.

“Is there something wrong with your back?” he asked.

“Uh. No.”

“Are you certain? It’s looking… lumpy.”

“It’s the cloak, sire. I didn’t, uh, shake it out properly.”

Aithusa pressed her cold snout to the back of Merlin’s neck. He whimpered.

Arthur looked at him even more strangely.

“I think my father’s right about you,” Arthur said. He walked away muttering about potential grave mental afflictions and spontaneous hunchbacks while Gwaine laughed unabashedly.

It _definitely_ couldn’t have been an easy, uneventful hunting trip.

* * *

Naturally, Merlin’s day only got more exciting from there on out. Aithusa clung to his back like a scaly, cold baby for the rest of the day, making Merlin flail at random times when she shifted and poked him with a hard talon. Arthur stopped being annoyed and took to laughing heartily every time he jerked and nearly fell into a pile of snow and leaves. He only ceased laughing when Merlin jumped so erratically he slipped on ice and nearly fell into a ravine. Arthur with his ridiculously quick reflexes caught him by the elbow and placed him back onto solid ground.

He didn’t laugh the rest of the day, and he didn’t comment on Merlin’s mysterious hump again either. Arthur only occasionally spared him an unreadable look when he looked back over his shoulder.

They returned to the castle just before nightfall with two deer and some small game. It was as successful a hunting trip as they could have wished, considering the snow was already falling hard and fast when they arrived in the courtyard.

“Right. I’m going to go to Gaius and change and then I’ll be right up with your dinner, Arthur,” Merlin said, backing away quickly enough to almost trip on the hem of his cloak. The wind blew little bits of ice into Merlin’s face.

“Bring some mulled wine,” Arthur called after him. He could barely see Arthur through the snow.

“Got it!”

Merlin rounded the corner and took off at a run. He was glad for the empty corridors; he stopped and took Aithusa off his back and into his arms, hiding her under the folds of the cloak.

“Gaius!” Merlin shouted.

Gaius spun around when Merlin burst through the door. He looked at Merlin, then at the bundle in his arms.

“What on earth have you done now, Merlin?”

He pulled the cloth away. Gaius looked like he didn’t know whether to smile or glare. He settled for something in between.

“Gaius… meet Aithusa.”

“You smuggled a live dragon into Camelot,” Gaius stated. “Have you lost your mind, Merlin?”

“Maybe? She was freezing! And starving, by the looks of it! I couldn’t just leave her there. She was calling to me!”

Gaius’s stern expression softened.

“I need to go attend to Arthur, but—”

“Oh, no. I have rounds to run before the snow begins,” Gaius said, shaking his head. He patted the medicine bag already on his shoulder.

Aithusa snuggled into the crook of Merlin’s arm.

“I’ll… leave her in my room and lock the door,” Merlin mumbled.

“You’d best hope she’s well-behaved,” Gaius called before shutting the door behind him, muttering about grave mental afflictions.

Merlin took his cloak off one-handedly and wrapped Aithusa up. He nestled her nest against his pillow before stepping back. She burrowed into the warmth of the wool and snuffled.

“You’re too cute to cause me any real trouble, aren’t you?” Merlin said hopefully.

A knock came at the door. A very loud knock. Aithusa startled and jumped up from the bed, hovering weakly a few inches over the blankets.

“Shit—”

Another knock.

“Just a second!”

He turned back to Aithusa, who seemed terribly keen on climbing on Merlin’s back again.

“No! No. Go back in the bed. I’ll be – just give me a second, alright?”

He struggled to get Aithusa out of the air. Eventually he just threw the cloak over her and ran out into the main room, even though he hadn’t yet put on a clean shirt and was shivering.

“Yes?” he said, opening the door.

“The prince requests you bring extra sweetmeats,” the servant said.

“Why couldn’t he just send someone else to get it?” Merlin said without thinking.

“He’s the prince!” the servant said, looking utterly aghast.

Merlin groaned.

“Never mind. I’ll make sure he gets it.”

Merlin shut the door in his face before he could properly criticize Merlin’s complete lack of respect for royalty. He’d heard it enough times to recite it backwards.

A metal pot banged loudly against the floor. Merlin twisted around.

“Aithusa, no!” he cried. Merlin lunged across the room just as Aithusa was about to climb into the fireplace, cloak and all. Merlin snatched the cloak and started beating the fire out of it with one arm, keeping a squirming (and very hot) Aithusa away from the flames in the other arm.

The room smelled heavily like burned wet fabric. Merlin collapsed on the floor by the fire. Aithusa nudged Merlin’s hand and licked him again. He scowled at her.

“You’re not keen on sitting still, are you?”

She cocked her head at him.

“Fine. Sit here where it’s warmer, but don’t move.”

Merlin wrapped her up in the cloak again before retreating to his room. He washed away the grime of the hunt and threw on a fresh tunic. The icy air permeated his walls, making him shiver even with his jacket on.

“You’re going to stay here, all right?” Merlin said, descending toward the fire again. “Don’t make me use my dragonlord voice with y—”

He stopped. The cloak was there, but there was no dragon in sight.

“Oh, bloody hell.”

* * *

Merlin skidded through the palace, bounding around corners, slowing down only when someone remotely important turned up to look at him oddly.

He didn’t even know where to start. Then his stomach growled and it seemed all too obvious.

* * *

“Oi!” the cook shouted. She hit the back of Merlin’s hand with her ladle as he tried to look inside a covered basket on the counter. “What are you doing down here?”

“Oh, just… you know. Warming up.”

“Shouldn’t you be fetching the prince’s dinner by now?” she asked, eyes narrowed. She nodded at the tray waiting for him down the counter.

“Oh! Yes. Thank you, Mary. I think Prince Arthur requested sweetmeats and mulled wine tonight,” Merlin added. “Can I—?”

“Don’t you touch a damn thing down here! Lena, go get the Prince’s requests,” she barked. She turned back to cooking, but not without glaring at Merlin once more for good measure.

Merlin had to creep out of the edge of her vision to drop to the floor and look for the little white dragon. The cook struck the top of his head when she caught him looking between everyone’s legs across to the far end of the kitchen.

“Dishonorable!” she screeched.

“No! I swear, I – I just dropped something! Please don’t hit me again!” Merlin exclaimed.

The cook eyed him warily. She hit his arm anyway.

“Hey!” Merlin said weakly. Merlin turned and tried to look up at her balefully, maybe in the hopes of getting an extra treat out of her, but instead he caught sight of a thin snaking tail sticking out from one of the open cabinets.

Merlin crawled over and yanked the drawer open. Aithusa was happily nibbling away on a chunk of raw meat she’d probably found on the floor. Merlin shook his head at her.

“Oi! Prince Arthur won’t want to be kept waiting,” Mary shouted. Merlin stood up so quickly his head spun for a few seconds.

“I know,” he said quickly. “Just give me—”

“Go,” she said, shoving the tray into his arms. There were, surprisingly enough, extra treats on the plates.

“But—”

“ _Now_.”

She gave Merlin a light shove, then kicked the open drawer closed. Merlin gasped, but when he looked down, he didn’t see a tail sticking out. He pulled it back open with his foot and found the drawer empty of both Aithusa and the meat.

* * *

Merlin ran from the kitchen and almost directly into Lancelot, who was apparently waiting for Gwen.

“Merlin! I haven’t seen you in a few days,” he smiled.

“Listen, I need a bit of help.”

“Special help?” he asked after a pause. Merlin nodded.

“There’s a bit of a… there might be a baby dragon somewhere in the castle,” Merlin whispered. Lancelot’s eyes widened comically.

“You’re joking.”

“She was cold! I didn’t think she’d steal meat from the kitchen, or try to sleep in a fire!”

“Merlin! It’s a dragon! Those sound like normal dragon behaviors!” Lancelot exclaimed.

“So I’m still working on this dragonlord thing. This is a learning experience, right?” Merlin asked. He knew he sounded desperate.

Lancelot looked ready to laugh, much to Merlin’s displeasure, but Gwen emerged from the depths of the kitchen with a pitcher of wine in one hand and a basket of linens balanced on her hip with the other.

“This feels heavier than it did earlier,” she was muttering. She beamed when she looked up and caught sight of Merlin with Lancelot. “Oh, hello, Merlin. Shouldn’t you be with Arthur right now?”

“You’re absolutely right, Gwen,” Merlin said, smiling tightly. Merlin shot Lancelot a desperate look. He only shook his head and held back a laugh.

Merlin turned on his heel and walked briskly to Arthur’s chambers. The castle air got colder with every step. Merlin was properly shivering by the time he reached Arthur’s chambers. He shouldered the door open and kicked it shut shakily. He was regretting leaving the cloak behind.

“I was starting to think you’d gotten lost,” Arthur said without looking up from where he was sitting at the table, several pages strewn out in front of him. He was sharpening a dagger idly.

Merlin set the tray down heavily as the warmth from the massive fire relaxed his tired limbs.

“Where’s the cloak I gave you?”

“I forgot it in my room,” said Merlin.

“It’s no use to you there, you idiot.”

There wasn’t a trace of derision in Arthur’s voice. In fact he sounded… fond. Merlin looked up from his hand at Arthur.

“Are you going to stand all night? Sit. We’re eating,” Arthur said. He kicked out Merlin’s usual chair. Merlin dropped into it and edged close to the table, as though the wood could help stop his shaking hands. He almost spilled the wine all over Arthur’s food when he poured it out into their cups.

“What’s gotten into you?” he exclaimed, jumping back.

“I—”

A loud knock came at the door, which then opened. Lancelot stepped in and bowed slightly.

“Sire. I need a word with Merlin. I won’t keep him long,” Lancelot said. Arthur sighed loudly.

“Be quick, Merlin. I don’t want to starve.”

“You’re more than capable of feeding yourself,” Merlin said. “I’ve seen you eat at feasts.”

“Maybe I won’t wait for you then,” he ground out. Merlin felt like he needed to hit himself over the head. He gave Arthur his best sheepish look before ducking out of the room into the cold corridor.

“Gwen just had to go back to the laundress. Apparently the linens she was delivering to Uther covered in stains,” said Lancelot. He started walking down toward Uther’s chambers. “She said they smelled like meat, even though they’d just been cleaned.”

“She did say the basket felt heavier,” Merlin said faintly. “Where did she figure this out?”

“In Uther’s chambers,” said Lancelot. “Just… go in and see if the dragon’s there. I’ll keep watch.”

Merlin reeled at the idea of little Aithusa snooping around in Uther’s chambers, or climbing into his fireplace. He was starting to feel a little ill.

* * *

Lancelot got him past the guards, claiming needing to stoke the fire. He tiptoed into the dark room. He could see Uther’s figure fast asleep on the bed, his hair disheveled, his face most likely twisted in his usual nightmares. Merlin crept about the room and pulled aside all the curtains and tablecloths, but Aithusa was nowhere to be found.

Uther made a disgruntled sound when too much light from outside hit where he lay. Merlin shut the curtains immediately and hurried over to make sure the King was still asleep—

And there she was, curled up on the pillow next to King Uther, her tail wrapped comfortably around Uther’s wrist. Curiously enough Uther looked far more at peace than he had in any of the months after Morgana’s betrayal. Even for a sick and dying man he looked content.

Uther edged closer to Aithusa, who woke up just long enough to look at Merlin, then start to snuggle up under Uther’s chin.

“ _No_ ,” Merlin hissed. Aithusa stopped. He froze, but Uther didn’t make a sound or move even a muscle. Merlin reached over the king and picked the dragon up until her tail went taut. Merlin looked at her sternly. Her wings sagged and she released Uther’s wrist. The King’s hand flopped back onto the pillow. He snored lightly and rolled over.

Merlin backed away carefully and tucked Aithusa under his jacket. She crawled up his back and wrapped her tail around his waist, tucking the end in his belt. She puffed against his neck warmly. Merlin felt a great surge of affection as he pulled his jacket closed in front.

He slipped out of the room, casting a spell to relight the fire as he went. Lancelot ushered him out of the King’s quarters of the palace and walked with him back toward Arthur before the knights at the King’s door could ask about Merlin’s newly-acquired hunchback.

“What are you going to do with it?” Lancelot asked.

“I don’t bloody know! She’s a terror! A very cute one, but still a terror,” Merlin amended. “Arthur’s going to have my head if I don’t get back to him now though.”

“Merlin!”

Arthur’s voice rang out in the corridor. His head stuck out from within his room.

“Good luck,” Lancelot whispered. Merlin turned around but he was already disappearing around the corner. Merlin could have sworn he heard him laughing.

“What’s gotten into you? You’re usually not this much of a lackadaisical failure.”

“I am, actually,” Merlin said calmly, turning back around. He followed Arthur into his chambers and closed the door behind him. “You make that pretty clear.”

“Well… you don’t usually have a lump on your back, which you didn’t have earlier.”

Merlin paused.

“No I don’t.”

“ _Mer_ lin.”

“I’m just – slouching. My shoulders hurt.”

“From what?” Arthur asked exasperatedly.

“Maybe from carrying your weapons through the forest all day?”

“They’re not that heavy,” Arthur huffed. He turned away from Merlin and made his way back to the table. The moment Arthur’s eyes left him Aithusa sprang into action. She shimmied down Merlin’s back, catching her claws on the back of Merlin’s breeches and dragging them as she lowered herself onto the floor. Merlin flushed horribly and pulled his breeches back up, making sure Arthur hadn’t seen.

He hadn’t. But in the two seconds it’d taken Merlin to check, he’d lost sight yet again of Aithusa.

“Come on now!” Merlin whined.

“All right, fine, so they’re not light either, but surely you’ve gotten used it by now!”

“What? Oh. I mean, yeah, but that doesn’t make them less heavy,” Merlin said. He kept scanning the room. “I’m not as strong as you big knights.”

“Strong enough,” Arthur muttered. Merlin looked at him and saw color curiously high in his cheeks.

“Have you started on the wine without me?” Merlin asked, starting to smile.

“No!”

The bottle was open and Arthur’s cup still had some wine in it. Merlin shook his head and topped it up. He filled his own and settled into his usual seat at Arthur’s side.

Something metallic knocked over on the other side of the room.

“What was that?” Arthur frowned.

“The wind, probably,” Merlin said automatically.

“What on earth has gotten into you today?”

“Nothing! I told you—”

“You said your shoulders hurt, and you were slouching, but now you’re not and your back looks fine.”

He even reached across Merlin to run his hand along the top of Merlin’s back, his fingers trailing on Merlin’s shoulders as he pulled back. Arthur sat back, his face still warm and surely mirroring Merlin’s own now.

“Don’t tell me you’re hiding a baby bear somewhere in here because you didn’t want me to kill it,” Arthur joked.

Merlin laughed nervously. He started to stand and pointed in the direction of the noise.

“Oh… of course not, sire. I’ll just—”

Arthur stared at him. He grabbed Merlin’s wrist and yanked him back into the chair. He caught the leg with his ankle and dragged Merlin a little closer.

“You know I wouldn’t do that, right? I know it bothers you. I tried not to kill any more than necessary today,” said Arthur in a low voice. Merlin felt it warm him to the core of his chest.

“I, uh. Thanks?”

“There’s nothing to thank,” Arthur said, looking away. “Eat before the food goes cold. You look like the wind could blow you over.”

“Do you hear that wind, Arthur? It’d blow _you_ over.”

Arthur peered out the window. The snow was falling hard and fast, gathering wetly in the courtyard below. This was likely only the beginning, too. With the temperatures falling fast, they weren’t going anywhere for a long while.

Meaning Aithusa wasn’t going anywhere either.

At least she’d stopped rustling about somewhere in the room.

Merlin relaxed a bit and started eating. Arthur took it as his cue to continue, too. They settled in, staying close, keeping the warmth between them all the while, and once the wine got in his system, Merlin had forgotten to be worried about Aithusa turning up at the wrong time.

They took the wine with them by the fire and sat down on the furs laid out before the flames. It was nothing they hadn’t done before, but Merlin could tell something was different. He found he didn’t mind it. Arthur stretched on the soft skin and brought the cup to his lips a little messily. Merlin laughed as he watched, though it only made him slosh his wine and miss his mouth.

“Damn it. This was my favorite shirt,” Merlin frowned.

“You can get a new one,” Arthur said, sighing.

“I don’t have the money for it.”

“Then I’ll get one for you. Blame me. It’s my wine.”

“If you insist, sire,” Merlin said, sighing as well. He put his cup aside and laid out in front of the fire. He shut his eyes, let the heat seep between his skin and his bones and force the tension out of his muscles. It felt _glorious_.

“Merlin?”

He opened his eyes. Arthur was hovering close. Merlin sat up and looked around. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary in the room, so he looked back at Arthur, who watched him so intently it almost hurt to meet his gaze.

“What is it?” he asked, his voice harsh and low from the dry wine and warmth.

Brows furrowed, Arthur reached forward and wiped a line of wine off of Merlin’s chin, the pad of his thumb brushing the edge of his lower lip, catching it, dragging it a little. Merlin’s lips parted; Arthur’s hand only fell away far enough to cup the side of Merlin’s face.

“Arthur?” Merlin asked.

“I….”

Arthur leaned forward and kissed him. He kissed hesitantly at first, then with greater surety once the clumsiness of the angle (and the wine) fell away. Merlin’s shock only lasted a second; enthusiasm kicked in tenfold the moment he registered what was happening. He pressed forward, grabbing Arthur by the front of his shirt and dragging him down on the ground with him. Arthur fell with a muffled sound of surprise. It only let Merlin deepen the kiss by licking into his mouth and eliciting a deep, pleased moan from Arthur.

“Merlin,” he mumbled. “Merlin, I promise this isn’t the wine.”

“I know,” Merlin said, threading his fingers through Arthur’s hair, shining in the firelight.

He paused while Arthur kiss the edge of his mouth and followed the line of his jaw close to his ear. Merlin gasped and ceased touching every inch of Arthur’s upper body he could reach when Arthur took his earlobe between his teeth and suckled lightly.

“Prat,” he added, still breathless.

Merlin could have sworn he felt Arthur smile.

They kissed and kissed until the fire almost died. Merlin pulled back light-headed and puffy-lipped and a little shocked at what just happened. Arthur looked essentially the same.

“You should stay,” Arthur said softly. He pushed the hair off Merlin’s forehead and leaned down to kiss his temple. He nosed at the soft skin between his ear and his cheekbone, making Merlin shiver. “It’s much warmer here than in your room, and I’ll have better food than you.”

“Gaius will think it strange.”

“Everyone will, but they already think it,” Arthur said, smiling crookedly.

Merlin laughed. “I suppose so.”

“You’ll stay then?”

Merlin nodded. “Think you know how to share that bed of yours?”

“I think you can show me,” Arthur said, his smile bordering on a leer. Merlin laughed.

“Will you hold me to that, sire?”

“Now that I finally have you here, yes,” Arthur said, smiling more warmly than any fire Merlin had ever seen. He drew Merlin close with an arm around his middle. Merlin reached up and cupped Arthur’s face between his hands, grinning,

“Finally?”

“Do you know how long it took me to work up the nerve to do that?”

“Apparently too long,” Merlin snorted. He gently pushed Arthur away and helped him to his feet. He disrobed Arthur and helped him into his sleep clothes. Merlin yawned widely.

“We could just… sleep tonight,” Arthur said. He caught Merlin’s hand hovering by the freshly tied laces on his trousers. “We have as long as we want – to do anything. If you’d like.”

“Oh I’d like,” Merlin said. He stifled another yawn. “Just maybe not right now.”

He tugged Merlin’s hand and led him to the bed.

“Come on, then.”

However when Merlin reached to pull the covers down, he stopped short.

There was Aithusa, curled up between both of Arthur’s pillows, tangled up in the covers. She slept deeply and soundlessly.

“Merlin…,” Arthur started.

“Uh. So about finding cute baby animals in the woods.”

“That’s a baby _dragon_.”

“… Yes it is.”

“Why is there a baby dragon in Camelot – actually, why is it in my bed?”

“She was cold?” Merlin said, aiming for his most endearing smile.

Arthur simply groaned. He leaned low and worked the covers from Aithusa’s tiny grasp until he could pull it back just far enough to get in bed.

“Are you going to stand there all night?” asked Arthur.

“You’re not throwing me out? Or sacking me?”

“No, Merlin, of course not,” Arthur sighed. “To be quite honest I’m too tired to deal with a dragon. Since it doesn’t look big enough to eat me, I can’t be bothered by it being here. I’d much rather focus on getting warm – primarily, getting warm _with you_. So, if you don’t mind, _Mer_ lin, we ought to sleep.”

“Oh. All right then.”

Merlin snuffed out the candles and climbed in after Arthur. They fit snugly together on their half of the bed. Aithusa had spread out and gotten comfortable, but the moment Merlin came closer to her, she crawled over and curled up in his arms, tucking her head under his chin. Arthur stiffened a moment. Merlin looked back and saw she’d wrapped her tail around their joined hands.

“She likes you,” Merlin murmured.

“I see that,” Arthur said, sounding dazed.

“You’re taking this well.”

“I can feel your heart racing, Merlin. Please. I… I’d never hurt you. And I don’t particularly want to kill this dragon either if I don’t have to.”

“You’d never—”

“Ever.”

Merlin felt like the room had turned upside down. Arthur pressed a kiss to the shell of his ear, then to the bridge of his cheekbone. He tightened his hold around Merlin’s waist and brought them as close together as possible. And just like that everything was right side up again.  Aithusa purred contentedly.

“We’ll talk tomorrow. I just need you to know you’re safe here,” he whispered. Merlin opened his mouth to say something – to thank him, to ask a thousand questions – but Arthur tipped his head to the side and kissed him on the mouth. “Tomorrow.”

Merlin smiled against Arthur’s lips.

“Tomorrow.”


End file.
